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LETTER TO THE EDITOR |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Jennifer L. Mann |
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To: Editor
From: State Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh
RE: Closing loophole in child porn law
Dear Editor:
Child pornography is one of the fastest-growing crimes taking place on the Internet. While state and federal governments are feverishly working to crack down on child predators who distribute and download sexual images of children, there is a glaring loophole in Pennsylvania law that allows people to view child pornography without penalty.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that existing state laws prohibiting child pornography apply only to individuals who possess these illegal images. This essentially makes viewing child pornography legal. In at least one case, the conviction of an individual who admitted to intentionally viewing sexually explicit images of children on the Internet was overturned. Current law gives predators the opportunity to exploit children without incurring any criminal penalty.
I authored H.B. 89, which would make intentionally viewing child pornography a criminal offense under Pennsylvania law. Child pornography is child abuse, and incidents of abuse have increased as a result of the increase of child pornography material available on the Internet. Pedophiles use child pornography to decrease resistance in their victims and to decrease their own inhibitions to commit sexual crimes against children.
This same bill passed the state House unanimously last year, but then spent 21 months languishing in the Senate Judiciary Committee until the end of the legislative session. I urge my colleagues in both the House and Senate to reconsider this legislation and vote to help protect our children.
State Rep. Jennifer Mann
D-Lehigh
Rep. Mann is a Democrat representing the 132nd Legislative District.
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